Islamabad: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved by the Indo-Pak dialogue process to resolve the Kashmir issue but said Islamabad will not accept New Delhi's "domination" in the region.
"The talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir issue are underway, which is a welcoming development. The two countries exhibited in this regard a positive attitude in the Havana Declaration. Now, the process should move forward," he said in an interview with a private TV channel.
"I respect the Indian Prime Minister but it is regrettable that India wants to keep its domination in the region and wants Pakistan to be a weaker force. Indians should come out of its phobia of being a greater nation and should talk to us at an equal level", Musharraf claimed.
"We would not allow anyone's interference in our internal matters and neither would be tolerating such things," he said. Musharraf also urged the two countries to refrain from interfering into each other's internal affairs and said India should correct its own matters before pointing fingers at Pakistan regarding terrorism.
Referring to Indian allegations of Pakistan fomenting terrorism in the country, he said India should first set its own house in order before telling what others ought to do. "There are 21 such places in India where violence continues. The situation in Assam is also visible. So, New Delhi should first correct its own matters and then talk to Pakistan," he said.
Regarding the hunt for Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, Musharraf said it was not an easy task because they were hiding in the mountains and enjoyed the sympathy of the local population.
On the recognition of Israel by Pakistan, he said, "We regret what happened in Lebanon and we need to review our policies especially with respect to Israel."
"There was a time when we did not accept Israel at all and now we believe in two states Israel and Palestine," he added.
To a question on the political scenario in the country, Musharraf said real democracy should first be introduced in political parties then in the country.
He said democracy lies within the party and not with individuals but "unfortunately our political parties have no democracy." Ruling out the participation of former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in next year's polls, he said there was no need to change parties inside Pakistan but there was a need to change their leadership.
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